The Thirty-eight republic - Covid Carnage - Schools still waiting for test kits

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You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders, and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are NOT staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

You can play here if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

Do not give the staffroom password just in case it attracts the wrong sort

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation.

If you come with a stick to goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom and you will receive a detention

Open to offers to hothouse my son in maths and English. Sadly I can only offer history and re-I'll make them very good at arguing from all manner of points of view

I've just realised it's Sunday. Yesterday I was calling Monday tomorrow and today I was convinced it was Saturday. I really need to tackle this laundry. And I may have to drug ds tonight to get out of his nocturnal programming.

Boris on Andrew Marr show in a mo.....

I have been saying since August that I think the government are playing a game of chicken with the unions.

Do you know what really pisses me off. Behaviour . The impacts of the pandemic on behaviour. We have now a generation of children who are being put at the centre of so many people's universe and decision making. the messaging around this has been woeful: they think they are virtually immune, the think they have no responsibility in the spread, they think they are entitled to schools, sport , parties (more so than any other age group), they have parents in some cases fuelling MH anxiety, they have a government forcing them through exams and assessments and their schools have changed so that interactions with teachers are different and often give the students the power.

And Spielman banging on about knives and forks again, FFS.

Interestingly, the ST is much more measured and moderate today. Thinks GCSE and A Levels should be scrapped. It's mainly to them about Williamson; they want him out. They say it endangers the Tory govt as he becomes totemic for their failings.

Out burst but I fifnd it frustrating. if I said parental and geovernemental attitudes were leading ato a generation of entitled brats on the mian board, I'be told I shoudln't be a teacher. But I ahve seen this with my own eyes all term. I knwo those with strong SLTs might not have quite the same experience, but so many parenst think children who do not comply are immedialtey sanctioned (whihc won't eb their own DC). My schol is chaotic, tbh.

Masks and SD in schools? Where! More dangerous in a park.?? Silly bint.

Sorry shouting at telly.

Managed to sleep some more but have woken up with the wibbles. Literally have no idea how I'll manage this week in my post covid state. I'm moving year groups (again) so that will all be new and still no work done on my assignment (draft due tomorrow). I feel as though my head isn't working and I'm stupidly trying dry January so can't even blame wine!

Feel so incredibly anxious, but I know I'm not the only one

We have now a generation of children who are being put at the centre of so many people's universe and decision making. the messaging around this has been woeful: they think they are virtually immune, the think they have no responsibility in the spread, they think they are entitled to schools, sport , parties (more so than any other age group), they have parents in some cases fuelling MH anxiety, they have a government forcing them through exams and assessments and their schools have changed so that interactions with teachers are different and often give the students the power.

Entirely true. We can't even insist that masks are worn in communal areas; the only protection we have. The message is that adults in schools don't matter and in afraid it makes me feel very much less inclined to go over and above for my pupils. I never will again.

Oh lord, I've just woken up to Marr and a woman whilst saying teachers should feel safe said '' with the masks and sd in school I feel my child is safer in one ''

@NeurotreeWenceslas

Exactly my thoughts

It was probably Cummings's last memo.

Before he sloped off to finish his little project with the lateral flow tests-that are being foisted onto schools as they’re too shit to use anywhere else.

I am going to avoid the main boards and the news today-I can only imagine how horrible it’s going to be.

I think all that will happen today is they’ll wheel out as many people as possible to say things like children don’t get ill, teachers have loads of holiday, nhs staff are angels, Ofsted can see how damaging this is on the children’s future etc.

Then the children’s commissioner will say something about cutlery and nappies and, of course, some MPs will pipe up from their library (as they are still on holiday) to say that, ‘schools are covid secure and completely safe’ and then leave it solely down to heads to decide what to do. The media will not ask them any difficult questions at all. The matron who said there was a ward of children with covid will never be seen again.

Some schools will close, others will be full of supply, others will be half closed. Parents will be ‘fumming’ all over MN.

Head teachers will be ripped to bits in the papers for 2 weeks solid.

Hopefully I’m wrong.

Yes I agree too, obviously some dc have specific issues but it's that wishy washy, no, they mustn't be told to wear a mask it may harm their learning....

I think the nuclear warning videos and ziggys heroin addiction in Grange Hill were more scary when I was young, public health info than what info comes at pupils.

We are in a crisis and they need to play their role!

So anxious today. I don't think there's going to be a back down from the government. There's so much hate and we're caught in the middle of it all and much of it is bring aimed at us. I don't want to teach anymore.

Bang on the money with that rant, Piggy, and, yes, Jane Moore can do one.

She's nearly prompted me to do a fb rant but I've restrained myself so far.

There are 500 ish secondary aged pupils in my village.

I regularly see a few playing football on the tennis courts and one huddled group of 10ish on the field at the park. Not the whole freaking school sized lot of them.

Cutlery comments wind me up too. Why is this a school's job to teach?

And don't get me started on nappies..

@Panickingpavlova

Yes I agree too, obviously some dc have specific issues but it's that wishy washy, no, they mustn't be told to wear a mask it may harm their learning....

I think the nuclear warning videos and ziggys heroin addiction in Grange Hill were more scary when I was young, public health info than what info comes at pupils.

We are in a crisis and they need to play their role!

Totally agree.

@lonelyplanet

So anxious today. I don't think there's going to be a back down from the government. There's so much hate and we're caught in the middle of it all and much of it is bring aimed at us. I don't want to teach anymore.

Feel the same.

The cutlery thing raises my blood pressure beyond danger levels.

Agree lonely, they need to push back on parenting courses, health visitors, sure start centers they stopped...

Even if it crumbles which, I don't think it will it's thrown up enough doubt for me as a parent not to send primary age dd in.

But really we need to hear the legal side because the QC could say, schools who claim to be safe then have staff who become ill... Maybe opening themselves up to endless legal action.

What some heads are saying... They are not necessarily possessed of the full facts of the law

Agreed. I used to be on the fence about Surestart. I accessed a centre when ds was a toddler for lots of groups. It was 70% middle class mummies using each group. I thought that was a waste of resources. I now think that it didn't matter and the smaller percentage of parents who needed the centres and their support was worth the fact that many of those going didn't need these free resources.

Ofsted chief-who has done fuck all since March and is happily working from home-tells other people they should work harder in unsafe work places.

Why do no journalists ever point any of this out?

Boris has just said they don't know if tier 4 works.there is no doubt school is safe.

Everything is under review, they may close, he said they didn't know if tier 4 works, so it's an experiment, can we keep school open and keep the virus down.

@Piggywaspushed

Do you know what really pisses me off. Behaviour . The impacts of the pandemic on behaviour. We have now a generation of children who are being put at the centre of so many people's universe and decision making. the messaging around this has been woeful: they think they are virtually immune, the think they have no responsibility in the spread, they think they are entitled to schools, sport , parties (more so than any other age group), they have parents in some cases fuelling MH anxiety, they have a government forcing them through exams and assessments and their schools have changed so that interactions with teachers are different and often give the students the power.

And Spielman banging on about knives and forks again, FFS.

Interestingly, the ST is much more measured and moderate today. Thinks GCSE and A Levels should be scrapped. It's mainly to them about Williamson; they want him out. They say it endangers the Tory govt as he becomes totemic for their failings.

Out burst but I fifnd it frustrating. if I said parental and geovernemental attitudes were leading ato a generation of entitled brats on the mian board, I'be told I shoudln't be a teacher. But I ahve seen this with my own eyes all term. I knwo those with strong SLTs might not have quite the same experience, but so many parenst think children who do not comply are immedialtey sanctioned (whihc won't eb their own DC). My schol is chaotic, tbh.

Our year 8 is really chaotic. God knows how we'll ever pull that year group back round for ks4 - I think they're going to be incredibly hard work. I'm just about managing my groups but the block is CHAOS kids in and out of rooms, teachers screaming and shouting to no avail etc and more and more characters becomingly outrageously bold.

Our year 7s are in for a rude awakening if things ever get back to normal and they have to actually be responsible for their possessions and carry everything around with them and not be able to repeatedly pop in and out to put their lunchbox in their bag etc at lunchtime let alone managing their bladders through a lesson.

As for us though I think back to normal would feel like a breeze - I can only imagine how much easier it will be to go back to having a room! To being able to be the owner of that space and keep it tidy rather than arrive at period 4 to find shit all over the floor and chaos. I can't imagine how nice it will be to sit at my desk at lunch and sip my coffee and get a bit of peace and quiet to check on emails and get ready for the next onslaught.

schools are safe is the new 3 word phrase for today.

Marr ignored him on testing.